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Whether you\u2019re scrolling the internet<\/a>, shopping anywhere<\/a> or speaking to anyone, you\u2019ve likely been pummeled by \u201cWicked\u201d promotions left and right. With so much hype surrounding this film, Director Jon M. Chu (\u201cIn the Heights\u201d) had much to live up to, and despite the second act of Broadway\u2019s \u201cWicked\u201d being notoriously weaker, he manages to leave an emotional impact that changes the audience for good.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d picks up a few years after the events of the first installment and follows the second half of the stage musical. Since then, Glinda (Ariana Grande, \u201cWicked\u201d) has become a celebrated figure in the Emerald City, acting as a spokeswoman for the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum, \u201cAsteroid City\u201d). Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, \u201cHarriet\u201d), the \u201cWicked Witch of the West,\u201d lives in exile, opposing and evading the fraudulent Wizard and his close ally Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh, \u201cEverything Everywhere All At Once\u201d). In addition, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey, \u201cJurassic World: Rebirth\u201d) remains in the Emerald City, working as the captain of the Wizard\u2019s Guard and actively, though reluctantly, hunting Elphaba. Elphaba\u2019s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode, \u201cWicked\u201d), has taken over her father\u2019s position as the tyrannical governess of Munchkinland, oppressing the entire nation so she can keep her love, Boq (Ethan Slater, \u201cThe SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!\u201d), in her life.<\/p>\n Obviously, we can\u2019t talk about \u201cWicked: For Good\u201d without discussing its songs and vocal performances. Interestingly, the movie included two additional songs, \u201cThe Girl in the Bubble\u201d and \u201cNo Place Like Home,\u201d which aren\u2019t from the original musical. Grande\u2019s vocals are even better than in the first movie, with \u201cThe Girl in the Bubble\u201d and her breathtaking duet with Erivo, \u201cFor Good.\u201d While \u201cNo Place Like Home\u201d is by no means a useless addition, it doesn\u2019t hold the importance of Glinda\u2019s new song, and it isn\u2019t exceptionally catchy either. Despite this one subpar song, the standout among the vocalists is still undeniably Erivo, whose powerful and dynamic voice breathes life into Elphaba\u2019s songs. Her voice was delivered with her breathtaking performance of \u201cNo Good Deed,\u201d drawing the audience into her desperation and anger. Grande and Erivo\u2019s emotional ballad of \u201cFor Good\u201d will draw tears out of even the most stoic, eloquently wrapping up the emotional journey Elphaba and Glinda have taken over the course of the films. Likewise, Grande\u2019s addition to the song \u201cWonderful\u201d elevated Jeff Goldblum\u2019s forgettable singing, creating a memorable scene out of one that could have easily been boring.<\/p>\n With the good, of course, comes the bad, and Michelle Yeoh\u2019s vocals are, frankly, bad. Luckily for listeners, her singing parts are few and far between; however, each time, it is truly grating. In contrast, the movie didn\u2019t use Jonathan Bailey\u2019s singing prowess to its full potential, with the actor only performing \u201cAs Long As You\u2019re Mine.\u201d Since the movie includes two additional songs for Elphaba and Glinda, having a solo Fiyero song wouldn\u2019t have been amiss \u2014 we personally would have enjoyed a \u201cDancing Through Life\u201d reprise. Unfortunately, this is a problem for the overall movie: It can\u2019t compete with the songs of the first film. While the album isn\u2019t full of skips, it doesn\u2019t have multiple standout songs the way \u201cWicked\u201d did, but at least the performances of the central characters make up for the weaker moments.\u00a0<\/p>\n